Team Dynamics
by PaperCrane1000
Summary: A series of one shots for each of the teams and how they connect. Stories will focus on major players Kuroo & Kenma, Bokuto & Akaashi, Oikawa & Iwaizumi, Daichi & Suga and Ushijima & Tendou. No pairings.
1. Chapter 1: Nekoma - Level Up

**Nekoma** (Kuroo and Kenma)

Kuroo had always been around. They were neighbours since he could remember but they may as well have lived in the same house with Kuroo always coming over. It would be an understatement to say that Kenma was an introvert, without any incessant nagging, Kenma could easily spend his whole life in his room gaming.

 _I swear the reason why I'm always allowed over is just so I can get Kenma moving,_ thought Kuroo. He ran his fingers through his hair trying to smooth it over, it would stay true to form every time. Kuroo admired Kenma's concentration, the silence never bothered him. He could read Kenma's facial expressions with ease. He had long given up changing his bedhead hair, he wouldn't give up on his friend.

Kenma found solace in virtual reality, within a screen. He could predict what would happen with ease, he could always restart if he started off on the wrong foot. People confused him, they were too loud and he didn't know what they were thinking. He didn't enjoy sports (unfortunately, people were involved) and he was always picked last.

He never had many friends; save for Kuroo. The black cat was the only one with enough patience and determination to drag Kenma's head out of a screen or at least get him to leave the house. When he had started to play volleyball, Kuroo saw no better opportunity than to drag his friend out to set for him. "You won't have to run, just toss for me?". In his own way Kenma accepted this: it was the only way to get his friend off his back.

Years later they were still practicing. "A personal time difference attack, by high school we'll master it!". "Kuro, why are you trying all these new techniques, isn't it tiring?" sighed Kenma, blowing a strand of hair out of his eyes. Kuroo, pumped up with more than enough energy for the two of them, ignored his dejected friend. The tosses still kept coming his way.

* * *

Come high school, Kenma was hardly surprised when he got dragged into the volleyball club. After all, Kuro had years of experience in forcing him to do things he didn't want to do. "It will be fun", he said.

It wasn't.

The third years weren't as welcoming. Exactly the people wouldn't choose to ever get along with, they gave him a hard time for not being passionate enough despite being part of one of Tokyo's best schools. Kenma sat again on the sidelines, here he watched his senpais score another point, predictably. He would show them what he'd learnt with Kuroo, one day.

* * *

 _If I can't fit in then I'll stand out._ The introvert dyed his hair blonde, much to everyone's surprise. It changed nothing though. It just made him easier to spot in a crowd. There were no instant results in real life. He couldn't undo an action once completed.

The timid boy slumped in his chair. As usual he was in his tall friend's shadow.

"I'm not giving up on you Kenma, you're going to make it whether you believe it or not"

Kenma often felt that Kuroo helping him was for the good of the team. After all, the black cat though not unlucky, made it impossible for him to find any excuse to leave the team. He made sure of it.

* * *

In his first match he thought the team would be burdened by him as he was called in as a substitute setter. After months of watching he knew his teammate's strengths. After minutes of watching he knew his opponents' weaknesses. The team had a tough time working around him but it paid off as a narrow win after a drawn-out match. Despite this, the rest of his first year, Kenma barely got any time on the court. Kuroo smiled at his setter, _just because he isn't on the court doesn't mean he isn't on the team_. The third years continued to attempt to push him harder but that was not how he operated.

"Just you wait 'til next year. The captain will change everything." Kenma had no reaction, if one thing was certain it was that his messy haired friend would always be there.

Coach Nekomata made him a starter once the third years retired. Nekoma were flexible, they were adapting to change.

* * *

It felt like home more or less. Kuroo still fussed over Kenma, but now the whole team fussed over him too. Yaku was there to catch things when they fell or to make sure that he ate. Kai kept Kenma company whenever Kuroo and Yaku started bickering. Taketora made sure he got to training after class without walking into anything while he tapped away engrossed in his games.

It was an unspoken rule that no one was to mess with Kenma, not unless they wanted to face the wrath of their sly captain and said boy's bodyguard of sorts. Lev learned it the hard way when he teased the setter about how short he was. Although he towered over the rest of the team, he feared Kuroo's shadow creeping up on him to 'have a word'. Not to mention the subsequent receives he was ordered to practice with Taketora, the ace who never held back in the slightest especially when putting Lev in his place. Yaku was more than happy to criticize his technique moreso than usual. Any short jokes were not tolerated by the libero.

This remained unchanged on the court. Whilst he would never admit to being excited by volleyball, he could never say that he didn't enjoy it at least a bit. Not the game of course, it tired him. But the way the team trusted in him to take the lead. For him to be the controller of a real-life game. He would watch people, observe how they acted and what they thought – all to secure the win. Here Nekoma was a stable family he could rely on and be himself. They never told him to stop playing games (Kuroo was the only one who could ever come close), they looked to him wholeheartedly and with the steadfast belief that as the brain, he could read the situation and draw out the most strategic course of action.

Kenma was not passionate, he cared not about the game's outcome but what was "possible" and "impossible" to achieve. Coach Nekomata made no move to interfere in any of the time outs unless asked; so long as Kenma thought it was possible and could make it so, there was nothing he could add to boost their game. The setter was the key strategist, the rest of the team just followed his intuition.

As individuals none of their players were particularly noteworthy to be selected for the national team, yet, since Kenma had arrived, they had been a formidable team within the top 8 of the prefecture. Stability was what Kenma had always wanted and this is what he found. Here. His natural black roots started to reappear.

" _WE ARE THE BODY'S BLOOD,  
FLOW SMOOTHLY,  
DELIVER ENOUGH OXYGEN,  
…SO THE BRAIN CAN FUNCTION PROPERLY!"_

* * *

 **A/N:** Kenma is a character I can relate to and I enjoyed examining his unique friendship with Kuroo and how they mesh together as a team. Next up are the Owls!


	2. Chapter 2: Fukurodani - Powerful Owl

**Fukurodani** (Bokuto and Akaashi)

Akaashi never forgot the first time he had met Bokuto. The only first year to join the club he bowed before addressing his senpai, standing side by side to welcome him into the gym. "I am Akaashi Keiji and I play setter, it is a pleasure to meet you". A spiky haired boy stepped forward, hesitating as he tilted his head slightly… "Eh? SETTER?!". Akaashi had no time to react before a bulky arm wrapped around his neck in a half-hug-half-headlock. "This year is going to be fun!", exclaimed the excitable second year. The rest of his senpai sent smiles his way. He had come to learn that they weren't fake smiles, just a subtle warning. It was a wonder he didn't die that day.

Bokuto had long exhausted the rest of his teammates by the time Akaashi joined the club as a first year. The horned owl was many things, subtle was not one of them and the first impression he left was indeed his normal self. That endless amount of energy latched onto Akaashi when the setter was the only one to keep giving him tosses so he could keep moving. The third year setter was more than glad to have some permanent respite. Even Konaha, jack of all trades master of none, never volunteered to set in his place although able. Akaashi sighed, _I thought he would tire out. Look at me now, I am the physical embodiment of exhaustion_.

* * *

Their ace had a powerful presence and an infectious smile. Innocent and overwhelming passion for the game was what he displayed and proved. Bokuto was highly reliable, having enough energy to help carry the team through tough spots. His spikes cut through almost any obstacle, firing up the team and audience alike. While he wore his heart on his sleeve, rarely hiding any emotion (making him easy to read for Akaashi) it came at a cost.

In their first practice match, the enthusiastic owl couldn't handle the pressure, crumbling as his crosses were blocked. Komi was forced to make difficult receives as Ubugawa's massive jump serves sent the team into disarray. Whenever Akaashi got his hands on the ball, he tried to toss to Bokuto. Much to his dismay, their blocks cut off his powerful crosses. Thay was the first time he had ever seen Bokuto's emo mode. "Don't toss to me anymore", he demanded dejectedly. Bokuto felt unworthy of being one of the top 5 spikers but most of all unworthy to play on the team and be tossed to. If it was any consolidation (it wasn't really), they had won the first set before their wing spiker crumbled and they lost the remaining two.

Thereafter, Akaashi saw Bokuto in a different light, not the bubbly owl but the talented airhead who easily lost motivation. "Hey, hey, hey, Akaashi". The vice captain looked up at his cheery teammate, seemingly unfazed by the loss or his breakdown mid-game. _Look at things differently, what you thought was uncool will become your greatest strength._ As a kouhai he needed to do everything the senpai needed to help the team. If Akaashi was trying to avoid being worn out by Bokuto's never ending practice, there was certainly no turning back. They practiced until he mastered the straight – it became his main weapon.

* * *

Akaashi may not have been the best setter, but he was perfect for their team. On the court, the setter has the most control of the ball, the game and the team. It was rare but there was a reason why a second year could be the vice captain – no one else was game enough to pull off what he could do. Akaashi was the ultimate backup, no denying that he was as quiet as he was wise. Granted, it was impossible not to see that when put next to the captain. It also came with its perks, he could choose the warm ups – those that were the most energy exhausting to help moderate energy peaks.

A team was a combination of strengths and weaknesses, individuals coming together. It was a somewhat regular occurrence for Akaashi to subtly initiate meetings minus the captain as to who would help cheer. Shirofuku volunteered to mention a pretty girl cheering him on in the crowd. Komi and Washio had backup duty and continued to compile creative boosters for their captain. It had been months yet Suzemeda and Onaga were acclimatized to the routine as first years. Akaashi simply stated, "If – when – this happens again, we need to be prepared in order to win". The owls accepted this fact and were willing to work. The night-owl captain was consistently impressed when he arrived to his team "warming up". In any other situation, it might be called insubordination.

Bokuto's dejected mode didn't happen as often as before, though it was always a matter of time. Mid match Akaashi glared at his team mates, indicating for them to help their ace take flight. "You're so cool Bokuto-san", said Sarukui and Konoha, almost forced. "That's why you're the ace". The captain paused, eyes closed and contemplating before smiling enthusiastically."I'm the strongest!", he proclaimed. "Hey, hey…" echoed the first years, somewhat dejectedly. Regardless it had its intended effect. The ace was back in the game for good, victory would be one step closer for the wise owls. It was remarkable how their ace could bounce back, pulling off complex shots and powerful spikes. Minutes after the recovery he was back to full power. "Did you see that Akaashi? I almost forgot how to do a cross but I pulled it off". The ace bounced up and down forcing Akaashi to notice him as he invaded his field of view. "Yes, it was amazing". Even with monotone praise Bokuto was back in the game and more pumped than ever.

* * *

Fukurodani was regarded as one of the top schools in the prefecture. What many didn't see was the team supporting their leader, more often than the other way around. If anything, the owls came out wiser, with improved skills in motivational speaking and human management. Fukurodani were individually strong enough, driven by the enthusiasm and power of their ace. When their powerhouse ran out of steam, they could hold their ground. Ultimately the powerful owl was their ace that would guide them and be guided to victory.

* * *

A/N: Just looking at all the teams, the owls are unique in how their captain is so dependent on the strong support from their team. I hope i was able to examine that dynamic. Next up is Aoba Jousai!


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